NBA Picks 4/4 – Atlanta Hawks @ Chicago Bulls

NBA Picks 4/4 – Atlanta Hawks @ Chicago Bulls

by Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

The Atlanta Hawks (39-39) visit the Chicago Bulls (38-40) tonight at the United Center, Chicago is a 3.5-point favorite and the total is 235. This is the last of four meetings between these teams, Chicago has won two of three, winning once in Atlanta and winning the lone matchup in Chicago by 11 on January 23. Both teams will finish in the play-in round, they’ll be jockeying for seeding, Atlanta currently sits in 8th, while the Bulls are 10th. These teams could meet again in the play-in round with the winner capturing the eight seed and going on to face the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics in the first round. Trae Young is questionable for tonight’s game with a non-COVID related illness.

UNDERACHIEVING SEASONS?

Both the Hawks and the Bulls came into the season with high expectations, but they find themselves hovering around the .500 mark with less than one week left in the regular season. After finishing fifth and making a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks appeared to have a bright future, but a disappointing 21-22 season saw them drop to the play-in round where they secured the 8-seed and then got bounced by the Miami Heat in 5 games.

Last June, Atlanta made a blockbuster trade when they acquired San Antonio Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray in exchange for multiple first round picks. The Hawks believed the move would give them an elite backcourt and a championship-level team but things have not worked at all this season as they are likely to finish with a worse record this year, they’ll need to win their final four games to match last season’s 43-39 mark. 

Atlanta’s young and talented backcourt of Trae Young (26.2 ppg, 9.9 asts, 1.1 stls) and Dejounte Murray (20.6 ppg, 6.1 asts, 5.3 rebs, 1.5 stls) have had tremendous seasons and each of them have played in 71 games, but their statistical success has not translated into wins.

The rest of the starting lineup consists of small forward De’Andre Hunter (15.4 ppg, 4.3 rebs), power forward John Collins (12.9 ppg, 6.5 rebs) and center Clint Capela (12.0 ppg, 11.1 rebs, 1.2 blks), on paper this should be one of the better starting 5’s in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta did fire head coach Nate McMillan on February 20, days after a 21-point loss at home to the New York Knicks. It was rumored that McMillan and Trae Young did not get along. Atlanta has gone 10-9 since McMillan’s firing so the inconsistency and underachieving has remained.

The Bulls came into this season with high expectations coming off a 46-36 season which was good for sixth place in the East. Inconsistent play and recurring knee injuries for Lonzo Ball, who will miss this entire season and has not played since January 2022 has doomed much of this season.

In what can only be described as a stunning development, the signing of veteran guard and Chicago native Patrick Beverley, who the Lakers gave up on, has turned the Bulls season around. The Bulls have gone 12-7 with Beverley and he’s started every game since joining the team on February 21. The Bulls have picked up impressive wins at Denver, at Philadelphia and at the Los Angeles Lakers during these stretch of games with Beverley.

Despite the uneven level of play for much of the season, the Bulls have received stellar seasons from the trio of Zach LaVine 25.1 ppg, 4.5 rebs, 4.2 asts), DeMar DeRozan (24.9 ppg, 5.1 asts, 4.7 rebs) and Nikola Vucevic (17.7 ppg, 11.1 rebs). 

THE PICK

The Bulls look like a different team with Patrick Beverley..Lay the 3.5 and take the Bulls!!